(That You Actually Live)
If you’re here, I want to gently remind you of something before we go any further:
You are in the middle of it.
There is no perfect path.
There is no right or wrong answer.
There is no behind.
There is only keep going.
And that’s exactly why I love the practice of choosing a Word of the Year. Not as a goal, not as a performance metric, but as a direction, a stance, a tone for how we live and decide.
A Word Is Not a Goal, It’s an Anchor
When I talk about a word of the year, I’m not talking about something you have to hustle toward or achieve.
I’m talking about a word that becomes:
- a lens you see decisions through
- an anchor you return to when things feel noisy
- a filter when opportunities, obligations, and distractions show up
A word gives you permission to come back to something simple.
Not stacked. Not complicated. Not heavy. Just one word you can return to again and again.
Define the Word for You
Here’s something important:
I don’t take my word at face value.
I don’t accept the dictionary definition as the final word.
I don’t borrow someone else’s interpretation.
And I definitely don’t let AI decide it for me.
I define my word for myself.
When a word starts highlighting itself – when it keeps popping up – I encourage you to:
- Look at multiple definitions
- Notice how it feels in different contexts
- Decide what you want it to mean in your life
Because plans change.
Trajectories shift.
And yet, vision remains.
Your word can become the steady thread through it all.
A Word Reveals Who You’re Becoming
This is where identity-based planning comes in.
Choosing a word isn’t about what you’re doing.
It’s about who you’re becoming.
When you plan, decide, and live from that identity – you stop reacting and start aligning.
Your word doesn’t force behavior. It reveals direction.
The Year I Forgot My Word (And Why That’s the Goal)
This past December, 12 months into the year and my word, a friend casually asked online:
“What was your word of the year?”
And I froze. I honestly couldn’t remember.
I had to go back to my journal, my special-set-things-aside-bullet journal, and look it up.
The word was Rhythm.
And when I saw it written there, I laughed.
Because I had lived it so thoroughly…
I had forgotten it.
That’s what I want for you.
Not perfection. Not performance. But embodiment.
To live your word so fully that by the end of the year, it’s no longer a concept, it’s just how you move through the world.
How I Keep My Word in Front of Me
When I choose a word, I build it into my life in tangible ways:
- I gather quotes that align with my definition of the word
- I handwrite them (pen to paper matters)
- I credit the voices that shaped my thinking
For Rhythm, I pulled inspiration from voices like Robert Delaunay, Elvis Presley, and Donnie Yen, each offering a different angle on flow, movement, and expression.
I also:
- Write affirmations using my word
- Place it where I’ll see it often, maybe a mantra to live by
- Keep past words visible or together in a journal, as reminders of growth
In my planner, there’s a section called Things to Remember. (my favorite one is here, and they have an undated version so you can start any time!) That’s where my word now goes, right where decisions are made.
And in my journal Anchoring Amidst, I intentionally left blank pages at the beginning and end. Why?
Because sometimes, as women we minimally invest in ourselves – and so these pages are for those things we still need to be writing down… but haven’t(until now) made intentional space for… like a word of the year
And those pages are just enough.
There Is No “Wrong” Word
Let me say this clearly: You cannot mess this up.
I once chose a word and worried it was the wrong one. Or that I hadn’t gotten it quite right. So, I ended up using it for two years.
I’ve walked clients through:
- Reusing a word
- Deepening & Intensifying a word
- Stacking words as we built momentum through the years
Your word can evolve. It can stay private. It doesn’t even have to feel inspiring… yet.
It just has to feel true.
Gentle Prompts to Help You Choose
If you’re feeling stuck, try sitting with these questions—slowly, honestly, without overthinking:
- What word describes how last year felt in your body?
- What do you need more of this year – not to do, but to be?
- Is there a quality you could practice this year that future-you would thank you for?
- What word keeps gently tapping you on the shoulder?
Write a few down.
Circle the one that feels good, not impressive.
Sisterhood Is Where Words Are Held
One of the most powerful things about choosing a word inside Sisterhood is this:
You don’t have to hold it alone.
We remind each other.
We cheer each other on.
We share language.
Your word might show up in how you speak.
In how you set boundaries.
In how you encourage another woman who forgot hers.
And that’s the beauty of it.
As we move into another year, together, my hope isn’t that you pick the perfect word.
My hope is that you pick one that helps you come home to yourself.
And then… keep going.
